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“Obviously, we can't start games like that,” Megan said. “You have to be ready to go at the drop of the puck.”

Ryan Whitney and Jed Ortmeyer scored power-play goals in the first period to draw the Rampage even after the sluggish start. Whitney's came on a blast from the blue line between the pads of Charlotte goaltender John Muse at 10:15. Ortmeyer scored a little more than two minutes later when John McFarland flew down the left wing and shot on Muse, but Ortmeyer poked in the loose puck in the crease to tie it at 2.

“I saw the D cheat to the middle a little bit, so I know I had a step on them,” McFarland said. “Megan followed in late, hit the post, and (Ortmeyer) came in and put it home.”

But Sutter scored his second goal of the game off a nifty pass from Palushaj at 10:52 on the power play to give Charlotte the lead.

The Rampage again pulled even as Megan and defenseman Matt Gilroy finished off a 3-on-1 with Trevor Lewis at 7:42 of the third period.

Bobby Butler, who scored two goals in Friday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Checkers, had a partial breakaway five minutes later but didn't get the shot off. The Checkers came back, and Palushaj followed his shot to beat Scott Clemmensen for the winner.

The Rampage fell below .500 (24-25-3-6) and remain nine points behind eighth-place Milwaukee with 18 games left. They play four games this week in four cities, beginning Tuesday in OKC.

“It's a lot of hockey, but you know what, it's what we're paid to do,” McFarland said. “We have to find ways to win hockey games.”